So Kiss Me

Ch 7

If you've ever spent the night crying and not sleeping, you probably get up in the morning feeling pretty groggy. Some people caffeinate, others schedule time for a power nap and few just get on with their day as if nothing happened.

This is the route Jaclyn chose, though soon after getting out of bed, she found it was more difficult than she'd expected to hold that facade.

At breakfast, she didn't speak to her father. Afterword, she straightened his tie and handed him his briefcase, then placed a kiss on his temple before he left. When he was gone, she went into the kitchen and pulled herself into a sitting position on the counter.

"Glen, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Miss Charity."

Jaclyn paused, gladly accepting the glass of water Glen had offered her, "Has he always been like this?"

"Not always," Glen replied, "He used to put family first, until the accident. He's lost, you understand. Just lost. Once he finds himself again, he'll be a better man. Might need a girlfriend, might just need you, who knows?"

Jaclyn nodded, "Did he ever talk to you about mom or Ryan? He never did with me..."

"He mentioned once. You'd just gone up to bed when you was 'bout ten. Couldn't have been a month after the accident...He says to me, 'That girl is the only reason I'm still here.' In my mind, he figures if you hadn't been born, he'd have gone to that game, too, then he'd be dead."

Jaclyn sighed slowly, getting off the counter top, "Thanks, Glen."

"Anything to help."

Jaclyn set her water on the table and walked from the room slowly. She glanced at the front door. Glen was busy and her father was at work. She could go.

She then found herself walking up the stairs to her bedroom and closing the door, clicking the lock to keep unwanted visitors out. Walking to her window, she remembered what had happened the night before and rubbed her eyes, audibly groaning.

Then, without really thinking, but rather, acting on her emotions, Jaclyn unlocked her bedroom door and went down the stairs and straight out the front door, not stopping until she was at Sandra's house.

"Jaclyn?"

"Change me."

"What?"

"I want to be different. I'm tired of pretending. I don't want to be mayor, I just want to live my life and for once, I really want to wear some fuckin' pants. Help me."

Sandra held her arms out and smiled, "Welcome back, Mofo."

Jaclyn laughed lightly and hugged her friend, then followed her to her bedroom.

"Are you sure about this, Sandra? I feel like it's too much too fast--"

"Chill, you look great. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

The girls walked out of Sandra's house and down the street toward where the other girls and the guys were hanging out. Jaclyn felt weird in her skinny jeans, converse sneakers and cropped tshirt, but Sandra had told her it was a pretty regular outfit to wear, so she trusted her.

As she walked up with Sandra, the girls all greeted her with compliments, but the guys were confused.

"Hey, you new?" Marty asked.

"Marty, don't you recognize me?"

"Jaclyn? Man, you look tight! Why the new look?"

Jaclyn shrugged, "I got tired of the dresses."